


This So-Called Dragon is my Tour Guide in Another World

by wildheartsneverdie



Series: AU August [5]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: AU August, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Isekai, Idiots to friends to lovers, M/M, at least he says he's a dragon, college student lio, dragon Galo, sometimes your boyfriend buys scrolls from shady wizards in taverns, sometimes your boyfriend is a dragon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildheartsneverdie/pseuds/wildheartsneverdie
Summary: College student Lio Fotia last remembers studying for his end of year finals when he wakes up in another world, summoned by a strange man with horns who claims to be a dragon.  Now his only chance to get home again rests on the shoulders of this so-called dragon Galo Thymos.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: AU August [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861510
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	1. This So-Called Dragon Summoned Me By Mistake?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio Fotia is summoned to the Kingdom of Prometh by the so-called dragon Galo Thymos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as the isekai prompt for AU August

When he opened his eyes, Lio saw half-melted candles, wax dripping down onto some design drawn in white chalk. His side pressed into the cold stone floor and his entire body ached all over. He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten here.

“Aww, I don’t get what I did wrong!” a voice exclaimed in exasperation. “I followed the instructions exactly! Just like she said!”

“… what?” Lio croaked hoarsely.

A man with spiked bright blue hair and no shirt knelt in front of Lio. Or at least, he mostly looked like a man, but a pair of horns sprouted from his forehead. He leaned forward, knocking over one of the candles. “Oops!” He righted it quickly before turning his attention back to Lio. “What are you? Some kind of measly human? Speak now if you have any kind of super cool powers!”

Lio sat up. “What are you talking about?” He glanced around the room to find relatively featureless gray stone walls with some kind of magic circle drawn in chalk in the center of the room. Lio himself sat at the very center of the circle, but this idiot hadn’t thought to bind his arms. Behind his back, Lio gathered up a handful of loose dirt to throw in this stranger’s face if he tried anything. No way he was letting himself be sacrificed without a fight.

“Oh man.” The man’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t want a human! I want treasure!”

“Excuse me?” Lio asked incredulously.

“You see.” The stranger quickly bounced back from his depression. “I bought a scroll off a wizard, but it must have malfunctioned or something. I followed the directions! It was supposed to summon a great treasure and instead it just summoned-” he gestured at Lio vaguely “-you.”

Lio narrowed his eyes. “Wizard? Summoning?” With one hand, he grasped one of the man’s horns and pulled with all his strength.

“Ow! Hey!” The man protested as his horn did not come off. “That’s rude, you know!”

With his other hand, Lio flung the dirt into the man’s face and made a break for the door. Behind him, the man spluttered, but Lio refused to slow down. He flung the heavy door open and sprinted up a flight of stairs to a broad, gray stone hallway. Narrow slit windows lined one wall. Lio dashed to the closest one, desperate for a sense of where he was.

Heavy snow lay beyond the window’s single thick pane of glass. A harsh wind whipped through the spare pines that punctuated the bleak landscape. Almost involuntarily, Lio shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.

He’d been studying for his end of year finals last night while sitting in front of a fan. The news called it a heatwave, but summer had just come early this year. Lio’s legs felt weak.

“Found you!” The man still had a smear of dirt across his face.

Lio rounded on the man. “Where am I?”

“Pelion Mountain. Outskirts of the Kingdom of Prometh.”

“Kingdom of Prometh…” Lio answered unsteadily. He felt himself shaking.

“Are you scared of me?! Ha ha! You should be!” The horned man declared loudly. His expression quickly shifted to one of concern. “Are- are you scared of me?”

“This is too much.” Lio leaned against the wall to keep himself upright.

The man looked around as if he didn’t quite know what to do in this situation. Then, he brightened. “I know what you need. A nice cup of something warm to drink. Humans like that sort of thing.” He gestured further down the hall.

“Why should I trust you? I don’t even know your name.” Lio remained where he was.

“It’s Galo. Galo Thymos!” The horned man declared.

“Why do you have horns?” Lio asked in a sharp voice.

“Why shouldn’t I have horns? I’m a dragon!”

***

Lio sat at a heavy wooden table near the kitchen’s wood burning oven. Galo peered inside the oven at the logs he’d shoved inside. Despite his lack of a shirt, the cold did not appear to bother Galo at all. In contrast, Lio couldn’t stop shivering.

“Hmmmm. It’s not lighting.” He lifted his head up and turned to Lio. “You never gave me your name.”

“I know.” He held a chipped mug in his hands, but it was empty and cold. “Is it a good idea to give my name to a so-called dragon? Doesn’t that give you some kind of power over me?”

“So-called?!” Galo puffed up childishly. “I am a dragon, just you watch. I’m going to breath fire on these logs and you’ll have your tea in no time.” He took a deep breath and shouted into the oven. “RAAAAWR! Burn! Fire!” Nothing happened. “FIRE FIRE FIRE BURN!”

Lio’s ears rang. A tiny voice called out to him. If he tried—

“Whoa!” Galo jumped back as a fire roared to life within the stove. “It worked!” He sounded as surprised as Lio. “I’ll just get some water. And you stay right there, human!”

Lio remained at the table even after Galo left the room. He didn’t know where he’d run so he might as well humor him for now. In short order, Galo returned with a bucket full of snow. He also tossed a woolen blanket to Lio. “For you. I forgot humans get cold.”

Even though it felt scratchy, Lio wrapped the blanket around his shoulders gratefully.

“Do you want to ask me questions before or after tea?” Galo sat across from Lio at the table.

“Before.”

In a roundabout way, Lio learned Galo proclaimed himself a dragon, a real dragon for sure and not a so-called dragon. If he was in his true form, he could show Lio how big and powerful he was and all his cool fire powers. He just didn’t want to turn into his true dragon form right now.

“Dragons are made of fire.” Galo explained as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “If I turned into one right now, I’d burn you to a crisp.”

“Right.” Lio decided to drop the topic.

As for how he’d gotten here, Galo explained that he’d purchased a scroll from a wizard who’d told him that it would summon a great treasure from another world. Only instead of a great treasure, he’d ended up with a scrawny human that he didn’t even want. And here was the Kingdom of Prometh which at least included beings such as supposed dragons, wizards and humans.

“So this is like Narnia or something, only you’re a kidnapper…” Lio sighed.

“It was an accidental kidnapping!” Galo protested as he rose to fetch the kettle from the fire. He filled two mugs with hot water and dunked a tea strainer into each. “And what’s a Narnia?”

Lio accepted the mug when Galo handed it to him. “So what do you plan to do with me now that I’m here?”

Galo sat across from Lio and rested his chin in his hand as he pondered. He’d clearly not thought about this particular conundrum at all. “Dunno. You can stay if you promise not to kill me.”

“I don’t want to stay.” Lio took a sip of his tea. The flavor was unique and surprisingly good.

“Then you can go to the village. I won’t keep you here against your will if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I mean I want to go home.” Lio fixed the horned man with his best steady gaze. “You brought me here, you’re responsible for getting me home.”

Galo laughed sheepishly and looked away. “The thing is… I don’t really know how to do that. I’m not really good at magic stuff.”

“You’re a dragon and you’re not good at magic.” Lio said flatly.

“You have to read books and stuff and it’s boring!” Galo exclaimed. As Lio frowned, Galo wilted a little. “But… I bet I know who can send you home again. The wizard who sold me the scroll! I’ll take you to her and then she’ll send you home. So don’t be mad at me anymore?” He added the last bit hopefully.

Lio pressed his lips together. Trusting the person who’d abducted him seemed pretty stupid, but his mom was always telling him to give people second chances. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. If you take me to this wizard, I’ll stop being mad at you.”

Galo did a little fistpump, half concealed under the table. “Yes! Okay. We’ll set out in the morning.”

“It’s Lio, by the way.”

“Hah?”

“My name. It’s Lio.” Lio looked up from his tea.

Galo smiled. “It’s nice to meet you!”

***

After Lio finished his tea, he wandered through the hallways and corridors where Galo had taken up residence. At first Galo had been reluctant to let Lio off on his own, but Lio reminded Galo that he wasn’t a prisoner. Galo sent him off with a lantern and a warning not to get lost. Lio kept the blanket tight around his shoulders as the horned man seemed not to heat anywhere except his central living area. There appeared to be enough room for a small army, but in all his explorations he didn’t see another soul.

Once his toes and fingers were numb, Lio turned to head back to the kitchen only to get distracted by a corridor that ended in a wooden door with a gold leaf design and a sign that read ‘Map Room’. Temptation proved too great and Lio had to try the door. To his delight, it was unlocked and Lio found himself with free reign of a darkened room that promised further information. By lantern light, Lio poked around the various shelves and drawers in the map room until he found a small selection of maps that hadn’t crumbled to dust.

Lio poured over the largest map which, according to the key at the bottom, depicted the Kingdom of Prometh. He found Pelion Mountain off to the north of the kingdom’s borders and let his fingers trace over the various other features of the map - a large city in the center of the kingdom called Parnassus, a mysterious sounding place called Wonder Falls, a forest simply labeled The Unknown. Even this little bit of information helped Lio feel less lost. Even just a simple map made this feel more like an adventure.

“Here you are.” Galo stood in the doorway. “It’s getting late. We should sleep so we can get started early tomorrow. I found a bunch of blankets and got the fire going. It’ll be the coziest, best night of sleep you’ve ever had!”

“Can I keep this?” Lio nodded toward the map.

Galo shrugged. “Sure. Don’t think anyone else is using it.”

Lio scanned the room for something to keep the map and spotted what looked like a scroll case. “What is this place?”

“Map room.”

“No. This place. As a whole.” Lio rolled up the map.

“Oh! Used to be a stronghold back when Prometh was at war with the kingdom on the other side of the mountains. But I took it and now it’s mine!”

“What happened to all the people?” Lio asked.

“Dunno. It was abandoned when I got here.” Galo grabbed Lio’s lantern off the table. “Follow me.”

The two of them left the map room together and Lio made sure to shut the door tightly after him. The sun had set while Lio was studying the maps and the lantern was now the only source of light. “Doesn’t it get lonely here by yourself?”

“Sometimes.” Galo answered with unusual quiet. He turned to Lio, walking backward for a few paces, back to his normal cheerful self. “But, all of this is mine and that’s pretty cool, right? I’m gonna fill it up with treasure and roll around in it!”

Their destination turned out to be near the kitchen. As Galo promised, the room contained a fire that crackled merrily and chased the chill from the room. A large bed piled high with blankets sat near the fireplace. 

Galo held both arms out to indicate the bed, looking pleased. “Tada! I told you it would be cozy.”

Lio sat down on the edge of the bed. There was enough room to fit at least three of him. Flopping over on the bed, Lio felt suddenly bone weary. The bed smelled nice, a bit spicy and a bit musky.

“Comfy?”

Lio nodded and made himself sit up to pull his shoes off.

Galo blew out the lantern and set it aside before diving into a nest of blankets on the floor near the fireplace. “Good night.”

“You’re just going to sleep on the floor?” Lio asked, keeping a cautious eye on the other man.

Galo poked his head out of the blankets. “Well, I normally sleep on the bed, but you’re there. I like the floor. It’s fun.”

Lio watched as Galo squirmed around under the blankets to get comfortable. He should have offered Galo the bed, but this was his fault. And the bed was so comfortable. He pulled the covers up to his chin, reveling in the warmth. He’d just keep his eye on Galo, make sure he didn’t try anything…

***

Lio dreamed of fire.

***

When he woke, the nest of blankets was gone and the fire burned down to embers. Lio stretched under the covers and rolled over to smush his face into the pillows. He’d always hated getting out of bed in the morning and it was so warm under all these blankets. The pillows smelled faintly musky and spicy. This must be what Galo smelled like.

Annoyance surged through Lio. Galo. He sat up. Where was that idiot? He grabbed the top blanket off the pile, noting this particular quilt had been in Galo’s blanket nest last night. Galo must have transferred all of his blankets to Lio when he woke up. The gesture was sweet, but Lio quickly squashed the feeling. He wasn’t ready to forgive the man just yet.

Lio pulled his sneakers on and tightened up the laces. Before he left to locate Galo, he had one thing he wanted to try. He straightened up again, holding his hand out to the fire. Inside the fireplace, the flames rose up, flickering brightly. If he listened, he could almost hear childish laughter.

”Lio! What are you doing?!” Galo had an arm around Lio, stopping him from thrusting his hand directly into the flames. “Fire is dangerous to humans!”

“I— What?” Lio hadn’t been aware of moving toward the fireplace. He shrugged off Galo’s touch. “Let go of me.”

Galo dropped his arms. “Breakfast is ready.”

Lio followed Galo down the corridor to the kitchen, clutching the quilt around him to keep warm. As soon as Lio took his seat at the table, Galo set a steaming mug of tea in front of him. When Galo set a plate of fried egg topped toast and sausages down, Lio’s stomach rumbled to remind him that he hadn’t eaten since he’d gotten here. 

“Thank you.” Lio murmured before shoving a mouthful of toast into his face. He swallowed. “Do they have coffee in this world?”

“What’s that?”

Another point in favor of getting home quickly.

“Eat up! We have a long walk ahead of us today.” Galo spoke with his mouth full. “We’ll stop at Fennel Village and get some directions. And you need some better clothes. Look at those tiny other world clothes. You’re gonna freeze.”

“It’s summer back home.” Lio glanced down at his t-shirt and jeans. “It might be a good idea to get some clothes that would blend in.”

“Cool. Then first stop is Fennel Village.”

“But let me get this straight. You don’t know where the wizard is?” Lio asked.

“I met her at the tavern in Fennel Village a couple weeks ago. She said she was looking for brave fools to try out her new spells and that she could sell it to me for an excellent value.” Galo shoved an entire sausage in his mouth.

Lio put a hand to his forehead. “And that didn’t set off any alarm bells that maybe she was up to no good? Or that the scroll might do something other than advertised?”

“No. It sounded cool!” Galo replied enthusiastically. “Besides, she seemed nice!”

Lio heaved a long sigh. “Right.”

“We’ll look for leads at the tavern. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home. I promised.” Galo smiled with sincerity.

He’s an idiot, Lio thought to himself, and probably his best ticket back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as the Isekai prompt for AU August, but I kept coming up with ideas for it and wanted to be able to add more later. And here we are! Rating may change later. 
> 
> I made it winter in the fantasy world just so Galo can warm Lio up. He is so very cold and the only thing that can warm him is dragon Galo hugs.
> 
> I couldn’t resist giving this a light novel-esque title. A friend suggested calling it doragai for short.


	2. This So-Called Dragon has a Wanted Poster?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio and the so-called dragon Galo visit Fennel Village to investigate the whereabouts of the mysterious wizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s the continuation of the isekai AU!

“You’re the renegade, aren’t ya?” the rough man asked, sword drawn and pointed directly at Galo’s near naked chest. The man’s armor was scuffed and well-worn and a thick scar ran across the back of his hand. “I’ve come to collect the bounty on your head.”

Galo held his hands up. “Who, me? You must have me mistaken for someone else! Just a normal human here!”

The man narrowed his eyes and, using the tip of his sword, pushed the hood of Galo’s cloak back to reveal his horns. “Normal human, huh?”

“Hah? Now how did those get there?” Galo patted his forehead and his horns.

Lio glanced around the tavern to other patrons, all of which were watching the proceedings, but none of them were stepping in to interfere. Left with no other choice, Lio rose to his feet. “Excuse me.”

Both Galo and the bounty hunter turned in Lio’s direction. The bounty hunter looked both surprised and annoyed — Lio guessed that the man hadn’t paid much attention to the smaller person sitting at the table with his target. “Stay out of this, kid. This bounty’s mine.”

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken. This man has a prior engagement.” Lio countered, his voice cold.

The bounty hunter looked over Lio and sneered, reassessing the situation. Abruptly, he burst out laughing. “What do you plan to do about it? A little twig like you!”

Lio clenched his fists at his side, the hairs at the back of his neck prickling with tension. “I won’t let you take him.”

Across the table, the bounty hunter’s eyes narrowed and his blade trailed from Galo to Lio’s throat. “We don’t take kindly to Burnish in these parts.”

“I’m not—”

Out of the corner of his eye, Lio noticed the mood in the bar shift as a few of the patrons put a hand on their weapon. 

“You are! Can’t hide your eyes.” The bounty hunter gloated. “What a haul! I’ll collect two bounties tonight! GYAAH!”

The bounty hunter shouted as Galo lifted him bodily into the air and slammed him down into the table, snapping the heavy wood in two. “Aw, man. Our food.” Galo gestured at the plate that was now face down on top of the unconscious bounty hunter.

“Everyone is staring.” Lio muttered, taking a step closer to Galo.

Galo took in the tavern patrons, some of which were rising to their feet and drawing weapons. “I can take ‘em.”

“They’re mine!” One of the men declared.

“You’ll have to get through me first.”

Lio took a quick head count. “We’re outnumbered. Unless you’re going to show off those awesome powers of yours, you can’t win.”

After a moment of hesitation, Galo grabbed Lio by the wrist and yanked him toward the door. “Sorry, Sal! I’ll pay you back for the table later!”

The two of them burst through tavern door and out onto the snowy street. Lio pulled his arm from Galo’s grasp, chasing after him as they ran.

“Get ‘em!” A group of bounty hunters poured out onto the street.

Lio complained loudly to Galo’s running form up ahead. “I told you that stupid hood trick wouldn’t work!”

“It mostly worked, but—! This is what happens when you dress like a bad guy!” Galo shouted. “People think you’re a bad guy!”

“This is my fault!?” Lio called after him. “Is that what you’re saying? You could have told me you had a bounty on your head before we came into town!”

“Ah ha ha! Oops!”

***

Earlier…

“You’re gonna love Fennel Village.” Galo stepped from the hidden passage out into the sunny, wintry valley. “Everyone here is super chill and they have the best food.”

Lio followed Galo, hugging his arms tight around himself and shivering so hard his teeth chattered. His clothes were not meant for winter. “How f-f-far is it?”

“You cold?” Galo threw an arm around Lio and pulled him closer.

Lio shrugged him off and stepped away. “Th-thanks. I’m-m fine.”

Galo frowned for a moment before shrugging his jacket off and tossing it toward Lio. “You’re stubborn, did you know that?”

“I’ve h-h-heard it s-said about me.” Lio glared down at the black leather jacket in his arms. 

Galo smiled encouragingly at him. He hadn’t been wearing a shirt under his jacket and Lio tried his best to maintain eye contact. “If you get sick and die, I can’t take you home!” 

With a sigh, Lio pulled the jacket on. Immediately, he felt warmer, but the jacket was too big and it smelled nice. “Thank you.”

“Now! First stop is getting you some warmer clothes!” Galo set off with wide strides.

Lio glanced back at the hidden passage leading back to the abandoned stronghold. With the way the rocks had formed around the entrance, it would be hard to find without already knowing it was there.

“Are you coming?” Galo called from further up the trail.

Lio trudged through the snow to catch up with him.

Fennel Village was a cluster of wide streets and buildings with sharply sloped roofs. With the mountains of snow and brightly lit shops, it looked very picturesque. They passed a bakery with a display window piled high with bread, a general goods store advertising their latest shipment from Parnassus City IN STOCK NOW, and a blue painted building covered in birds.

“What’s that one?” Lio nodded toward the bird shop.

“Ah, that’s the post office! The carrier-birds take letters anywhere in Prometh.” Galo grinned. “Got any letters you want to send out?”

“Who would I send a letter to?” Lio asked.

Galo considered this. “You’re right. Who would you send a letter to?”

A two kids ran up to them, laughing and shrieking. “Galo! Galo!” They jumped on him and Galo let the them hang off his arms. Lio tried not to stare at the man’s biceps too much.

“Sorry, I can’t play. I’m here on business!” Despite his words, Galo spun himself and the kids around in a circle.

“Business!” One of them shouted despairingly.

“Who’s your friend?” An older girl asked as she joined the other two. She narrowed her eyes in Lio’s general direction. “And why is he wearing your jacket?”

Lowering his arms until the kids’ feet touched the ground, Galo looked back at Lio, his expression confused. Mentally, Lio scolded himself. They should have gotten their story straight ahead of time, but it hadn’t occurred to him that anyone would ask.

Galo turned back to the girl. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

“He’s from… south! Where it’s warm!” Galo concluded after a too long pause then laughed with too much volume in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness.

The girl frowned. “Come on, you two. Let’s not bother Galo too much.”

“Awwwwuh.” The smallest child whined.

The older of the two dashed away. “Galo, chase me!” He stopped and looked back to make sure Galo was following.

Galo flashed a pair of big, sad, blue eyes at Lio.

Lio sighed and waved Galo away.

“GRAAWRRR!” Galo shouted, chasing after the kid at a slow enough pace that he could easily out speed Galo. The second kid shouted happily and joined in the game.

The girl watched the three of them run around the town square before facing Lio. She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. “Just so you know, Galo is too good for you.”

“I’m not-”

“Hnf.” With a snort, the girl spun on her heel. “Come on, mom’s going to have my head if we don’t get home soon.”

With a handful of complaints, the two kids followed the older girl from the square. Panting slightly from running, Galo trotted over to Lio. “Thanks for waiting.”

Lio shrugged then sneezed.

“Oh man. We need to get you warmed up!” Galo put a hand to Lio’s forehead.

Lio shoved it away. “I don’t have a fever.”

“Ah! I know, we need something warm to drink! Humans like that!” Galo smiled brightly with newfound enthusiasm. “Follow me! I know where to start our investigation.”

Galo marched a few shops down the street and held the door open for Lio. Lio stepped through into the warmth of interior beyond. Half a dozen cats lounged on oversized armchairs, scattered tables or a rug in front of the fire. The two elderly women at the counter looked up at their entrance and exchanged a knowing glance.

Completely oblivious, Galo led the way to a table near the fire. “You sit here. Don’t put your hand in the fire again. I’ll get tea.”

“Tea doesn’t solve everything.” Lio commented.

“Yeah, it does!”

Lio sighed and took a seat as Galo went up to the counter. The two clerks greeted him warmly, clearly Galo was a frequent customer at this place. This close to the fire, Lio had to force himself to ignore the soft singing coming from the flames. One of the cats rubbed against Lio’s leg and he bent down to stroke it’s soft, gray fur.

“Do you talk?” Lio whispered. The cat blinked back at him. It was worth checking.

“AH!” Galo abruptly dashed out of the shop.

Worried, Lio jumped to his feet and hurried to the window to see what the problem was. On the other side of the pane of glass, Galo carried an armful of packages for a gray-haired, stooped old man as they crossed the square together. That idiot had no attention span at all.

“Is he always like this?” Lio sighed.

One of the clerks laughed. “I’m afraid he is.”

“But he’s never brought someone to town with him before.” The other clerk noted, looking Lio over again.

Lio retreated to his table instead of answering. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but didn’t dare give away how little he knew.

When Galo reappeared, he slid into the seat across from Lio, smiling broadly. “They said the wizard hasn’t been back in town since a few weeks ago when I bought the scrolls. See, I’m keeping my promise to take you home, just like I promised.”

“Thank you.” Lio didn’t know what else to say.

One of the old ladies brought over a tray with a plate of sandwiches to share, two small bowls of potato cream stew and a small pot of tea for each of them. “Enjoy your date.”

Galo’s cheeks reddened and he rubbed at the back of his neck. “She thinks we’re on a date.”

It was charming.

Oh no. Lio jabbed into his stew with a spoon. He was not falling for this idiot and his boyish good looks. “You should really wear a shirt.”

Galo looked confused. “The cold doesn’t bother me.”

“I thought we were trying to keep a low profile.” Lio muttered. “Everyone else is dressed for winter.”

Galo took a bite of sandwich and pondered Lio’s words. “I’d blend in more if I had my coat back.” Lio reached up to pull the coat off, but Galo shook his head. “Keep it! At least until we get you some new clothes. If any of us sticks out right now, it’s you.”

Lio frowned. He didn’t know if his jeans and t-shirt were any more out of place than Galo’s naked chest. “Fine.”

“Mm. This soup is really good!” Galo took a bite without waiting for it to cool at all.

“Heat doesn’t bother you either.” Lio commented.

Galo swallowed. “Well, I am a dragon.”

“Do you have any weaknesses?”

“Trying to figure out how to defeat me in battle, eh?” Galo leaned back in his chair and gave himself a hearty thunk on the chest. “I’m practically invisible.”

“What? I can see you perfectly.” Lio felt as if they were talking about two different things.

Galo gave Lio a look. “I meant you can’t defeat me!”

“Oh. You’re invincible?” Lio asked.

“That’s what I said.”

Lio tried one of the sandwiches. He wasn’t certain of the filling, but it tasted good. “You seem to know everyone in town.”

“Oh yeah. I come to Fennel Village all the time for supplies.” Galo finished up his first sandwich. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

Galo leaned forward. “You’re human, right?”

“Last time I checked.”

“Oh, okay.” Galo flashed a brief smile. “I mean, most humans I know don’t look like you.”

Lio ran a hand through his dyed pale green hair. “I look pretty normal back home. Lots of people dye their hair.”

“Do all the people in your world have eyes like yours?”

Lio choked on his soup.

“Lio?!” Hurriedly, Galo hopped to his feet and gave Lio a few good thumps on his back.

“I’m fine! My eyes are fine!” Lio snapped in annoyance. Now that Lio was breathing, Galo took a step back. “We both have blue eyes, why is that strange?”

Galo gave him another look and took his seat. Not for the first time today, Lio felt as if they were talking about two different things.

“You should try try the tea.” Galo suggested after a long silence. “It’s really good.”

Lio poured the fragrant liquid into a delicate look teacup and took a sip. He hated when Galo was right.

***

“You can’t wear all black!” Galo exclaimed as he looked over Lio’s new attire. “You look like a bad guy.”

Lio gave his outfit a once over in the tailor’s only small mirror. “I like black.”

Galo had taken his coat back and wore it over his shoulders like a cape. “Fine. But it’s not my fault if you get chased out of town because you look like a villain.”

“No one is going to chase me out of town. I look good.” He had new winter appropriate attire and warm boots to match. He’d stashed his old clothes in his brand new pack. 

Grumbling to himself, Galo paid for the new gear. “Come on. Quit admiring yourself. Let’s head over to the tavern and start asking around. Besides, they have really good food!”

Lio followed Galo across the square, past board in the center of the decorate with various notices. Stopping dead, Lio stared at one notice in particular. “Galo…?”

Galo stopped as well, lifting one eyebrow at Lio. “Yeah?”

“Is that you?” Lio nodded toward what looked suspiciously like a wanted poster with a scowling GALO THYMOS pictured at center.

“Oh yeah!!” Galo stood next to the poster. He puffed up, taking a heroic pose. In mockery, the poster rendition of Galo glowered with bared teeth. “The real thing looks a lot better, doesn’t it?”

“It’s a wanted poster.” Lio stated the obvious.

“They made me look all mean! Hm.” Galo reached into a pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of chalk which he used to draw a red smile on the poster. “Much better. Now I look friendly!”

“Why do you have a wanted poster?” Lio asked, his eyes narrowing.

Trying to act casual, Galo pocketed the chalk. “Oh, you know. Renegade dragon and all that.”

“It says you’re a danger and a menace.” Lio pointed out the words on the poser. They weren’t in any language he knew, but whatever magic brought him here also made it so he could read this world’s script.

“But I’m a very nice danger and a helpful menace.” Galo’s smile wavered.

The number under Galo’s name contained several zeroes. “Is that a lot of money?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Galo glanced around the square, clearly uncomfortable. “Can we go get food now?”

Lio chewed on his lip. “Is this going to cause trouble?”

Galo shrugged, trying to play it cool and failing. “Bounty hunter never come out this far. We’re fine.”

Uncertain what to say about any of this — Could Galo be a dragon after all? What did the whole renegade thing mean? — Lio said nothing at all.

“Um.” Galo’s eyes shifted around guiltily. “Do you hate me now?”

Lio shook his head. “I know what it’s like getting judged for being different.”

The tension left Galo’s shoulders. “Oh. Okay. Cool.” He perked up again. “You’re gonna love the tavern, Lio! They have this really cool food and, it’s a surprise, but you have to try it before you go home!”

“I’m only eating mystery food if you eat it too.” Lio smiled in an attempt to ease any remaining tension.

“I am going to eat it! It’s really good!”

Prior to stepping through the doors into the tavern, Lio had only imagined places like this while reading fantasy novels. Heavy wooden tables, filled with numerous patrons, took up most of the space. A large, roaring fireplace dominated the far side of the room. Gas lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm yellow glow.

“Wait.” Taking Galo by the arm, Lio pulled him off to the side. “Those guys are all staring at you. Not in a friendly way.”

“Who?” Galo craned his neck to see.

“You’re being obvious.” Lio muttered under his breath.

“Oh. They look like soldiers. Or maybe bounty hunters.” Galo shrunk back into the shadows, eager to avoid detection.

“I thought you said no one ever came out this far!”

“Yeah, but… There was kind of this thing where I stopped some bandits from destroying the village and maybe that attracted some attention.” Galo rubbed at the back of his neck again. Lio found it less charming now. “Oh hey. I have an idea.” He reached behind himself and flipped up the hood of his jacket. “Tada! Now no one can see my horns.”

Lio pulled Galo down to his height, rearranging the hood so it covered up the horns as best as possible. They still stuck out. “This isn’t going to work.”

“You worry too much.” Galo patted Lio on the shoulder and strode further into the tavern.

Left with no other choice, Lio followed after him.

“Let me do the talking, Lio.” Galo said as the approached a table. “I mean, you’re a little…”

“I’m a little what?”

“Intense.” Galo offered. “And you’re dressed like a bad guy. People are gonna be suspicious.”

“Just avoid that table with the bounty hunters.” On closer inspection, the group looked a bit rough and tumble for soldiers.

Galo glanced their direction. “Right.”

After some questioning, and Lio trying to keep Galo on track, it turned out no one remembered a wizard who’d been in town a few weeks ago. However, most people remembered the girl who’d been selling scrolls.

“She was an odd one.” One patron commented.

“Pretty sure she was up to no good.” Another observed.

“The way she had that rat sit on her shoulder…” The woman shuddered and took a swig of her beer.

“It was pretty cool!” Galo enthused.

After questioning the entire tavern aside from the tables nearest the soldiers, Lio and Galo retreated to an empty table far away from them and the fireplace — to Lio’s relief. Galo sipped a beer while they waited for their food. “We still don’t have any leads.”

Lio, who was a lightweight, had opted for water. “Was she even a wizard?”

“She said she was. Why would she lie to me?” Galo bemoaned. “The rat was her familiar. It even did tricks.” Suddenly he straightened up. “I think that’s our food. Wait until you try this! I’m sure you don’t have anything like this at home!”

The server brought over a tray and slide it down between the two of them. “Here you go, Galo.”

Galo gestured grandly at the food. “Volcano Margherita Megamax!”

Lio smirked, just a little. “It’s pizza. We have this at home.”

“What?” Galo deflated.

Lio gave him a little smile. “I like pizza.”

“That’s the second time you’ve smiled today.” Galo turned to the server. “Hey, Sal. You know anything about the girl that was in here a few weeks ago selling scrolls? She was a wizard, right?”

“Oh, her?” The server scratched at his scruffy goatee. “She tried to sell me a scroll that would bring great riches from another world and all I had to do is give her all the gold I had in lock box. I know a scam when I hear one.”

“Yeah…” Galo agreed glumly.

“I turned her down and she said I’d be sorry when someone ended up making a fortune over in Serres.” He laughed.

“That’s our lead!” Galo shouted as he jumped to his feet. “I did it, Lio! I solved the case!”

***

Now…

Lio’s breath formed sharp, white puffs as he ran. The new boots kept his feet dry, but a blister at the back of his foot burned with each step. “Galo… I think… We lost them…” he panted.

Several paces ahead of him, Galo slowed and jogged back to Lio. “They can follow our tracks. Hold on.” He took a deep breath, then exhaled. A great wind spread out behind them, stirring up the snow behind them and obscuring their prints.

Lio blinked. It was the first time he’d seen Galo do anything resembling magic.

“Sorry.” Galo apologized before slinging Lio over his shoulder.

Lio protested loudly. “H-hey!”

Without another word, Galo leapt into the air, higher than any human possibly could, and landed in the snowy bushes a good distance from the road itself. He crouched down and gently set Lio down next to him. “We’ll wait here. Just while you catch your breath.”

The stitch in Lio’s side welcomed the break. In the still night, Lio heard voices of the men still pursuing them. His sweat rapidly cooled into freezing icicles against his skin.

“Cold?” Galo asked in a whisper.

Lio nodded.

Galo put an arm around Lio and pulled him closer. Lio was too tired to protest and, aside from which, Galo felt like a small furnace against him. 

“You’re warm.” Lio exhaled.

“I’m a dragon.”

The two of them waited, barely daring to breath as the bounty hunters came closer. “We’ve lost ‘em…!”

“No way! They can’t have gotten far. Keep looking!”

Galo’s arm tightened around Lio.

“A renegade dragon and a Burnish! We’ll be rich!”

“I knew it was worth following up on those rumors.”

Gradually, the voices turned distant as they continued down the road. Galo let out a loud breath and dropped his arm. “That was close! I didn’t want to have to roast them.”

“Galo…” Lio said quietly. “What’s a Burnish?”

Galo looked rather pointedly away, his voice low. “You’re not one of them. I’d know.”

“Does it have something to do with fire?” Lio asked. That might explain why fire had suddenly started singing.

Galo’s brows furrowed. “Sort of. You’re just not, okay?”

“How do you know?” Lio pressed forward despite Galo’s annoyance. “If people are going to accuse me of being Burnish, I should at least know why.”

“You’d have to make a bond with a dragon, but I’m defective and my magic is too weak to make a bond with anyone!” Galo replied bitterly, all traces of his normal easygoing attitude gone. He got up and dusted the snow from legs. “Besides, it’s forbidden magic and we’d both be in really big trouble.”

Lio got to his feet as well. He wanted to say something to cheer Galo up, but nothing seemed right. “I’m sorry.”

Galo wiped his nose on the sleeve of his jacket. “If there’s bounty hunters looking for me, it isn’t safe for us to stay here. We should pack and leave for Serres at first light.”

Lio reached for Galo’s hand, then thought better of it. “Okay.”

Galo whirled to face Lio, hands on his hips as he smiled brightly. “Don’t be sad! We’re going to find that wizard and then I’m going to get you home! Like I promised!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to really love portal fiction like Alice in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia when I was a kid. In the year 2020, I would really like to get whisked away to a magical land as well.
> 
> Rating might change later, I haven't decided.


End file.
